RESISTED BEAR DRILL: EVERY RUGBY PLAYER SHOULD BE DOING THIS!

When it comes to sport specific performance training – the resisted bear drill or the resisted Poacher is definitely in my top 5 that I enjoy to use with my rugby athletes. There’s 2 variations I use in this sequence – 1) is bear stance (both hands on the ground) and 2) mid-bear stance (both hands on bench/body).

This is great for building lower body strength, core and spine stabilization and power through the legs. The purpose of this drill is to improve players ability to drive out opponents from the ruck, poses a threat by looking over to steal or poach the ball. The objective is to secure quicker, better quality ball for your scrum half. What I typically tell my athletes to do is

1) arrive at rick in a position to drive an opposition player backward.

2) have a body angle on arrival to keep you on your feet.

3) aim to drive on and grab an opposition players “hook” (an arm or leg) or handle (shorts or jersey)